GEYLANG

About the Show

Step into the wild, neon-lit lorongs of Geylang, where a happy ending is not what you think it is.

In this wicked, saucy interplay of six original stories, meet those who have lived, loved and lost in Geylang. A pair of star-crossed lovers defy the river and cultures that separate them. Mediums and mamasans prey on lost souls. Mothers lose their children, and landowners trade away their heritage. A government official falls under the heady spell of nostalgia, as a gangster is swept up in a storm of drugs and violence.

A potent, exhilarating brew of history and fiction, Geylang looks for truth in the past, present and future of Singapore’s most colourful district. Sexy, funny and poignant, young & W!LD’s Geylang is an electrifying, thought-provoking showcase of new Singapore voices and talent, brought to you by W!LD RICE and directors Serena Ho and Rodney Oliveiro.

R18 (Mature Content)

Reviews

“…to dismiss this play as nothing more than a student production would be to underestimate how entertaining, funny, self-aware and richly realised it and its characters are.”

“There is no doubt that the young cast gave a lot of themselves. The group’s collective will to entertain – even at considerable sacrifices to personal dignity – commands a kind of respect… the acting is energetic but raw, but Yazid Jalil and Elizabeth Loh deserve special mention for the conviction of their performances…”

“The clever mish-mash of adult comedy helps to give Geylang a new perspective while evoking the audience’s sympathy, without becoming a tearjerker… It thoroughly entertains through the use of slapstick local humour as well as elaborate acting. We walked out of the theatre understanding the very narrative behind Singapore’s scarlet vicinity after watching Geylang.”

“It is a potent, exhilarating mixture of history and fiction that promises to be electrifying and thought-provoking… Loved it… A highly entertaining and contentious play, Geylang was one that I found was completely worth my time. A nearly 2-hour play felt like a mere 15 minutes as I sat through, enchanted by the horror and comedy that shaped Geylang. The play challenged history and culture against progress and change, and identifies the cost of progress and the value of heritage.”

“The pace of the play was brilliant, there was never a dull moment… The satire was so spot-on that it had me in fits the entire time… This was without hesitation an amazing play… I am definitely looking forward to whatever plays the cast will be in the future, young & W!LD is certainly in my good books.”

CAST

About W!LD RICE

Founded in 2000 by our Founding Artistic Director, Ivan Heng, W!LD RICE is one of Singapore’s leading professional theatre companies. Our mission is to provide a forum for the shared experience of theatre; celebrating our diversity, reflecting on the problems and possibilities of our times, and presenting productions that inspire, challenge and entertain. W!LD RICE is a not-for-profit Singapore Registered Charity, (Institution of a Public Character No. 000122). It is a recipient of the National Arts Council's Major Grant.